New Delhi: The Supreme Court Wednesday refused to postpone UPSC civil services preliminary exam, to be held on October 4, because of Covid-19 pandemic and floods in several parts of the country.
A bench of Justices AM Khanwilkar, BR Gavai and Krishna Murari asked the Centre to consider granting one more chance to those aspirants who may not appear in their last attempt allowed for the exam due to the pandemic. It also refused to consider the plea for clubbing of this year’s exam with that of 2021 saying “this will have a cascading effect”.
The bench was hearing a plea seeking postponement of the Civil Services Exam for two to three months, so that the flood/incessant rains recede and the Covid curve flattens. The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) opposed the plea saying all necessary precautions had been taken and adequate arrangements made for holding the exam. The bench said that as some public exams had recently been conducted successfully by the authorities by observing proper protocols, it is possible to conduct the UPSC preliminary examinations.
It added that the grievance of lack of transport facility at 72 examination centres and sub-centres had not been substantiated by the petitioners. Dealing with the grievances of the aspirants that due to the Covid situation students could not take the coaching and other facilities, the bench referred to the availability of facility of online study material to them.
The top court said that it had impressed upon ASG SV Raju, appearing for the Centre, to explore the possibility of giving one more opportunity to such students who fail to take up the exam in their last attempt. It said that a formal decision can be taken by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) expeditiously. On allowing suspected COVID-19 aspirants to take up their exams, the bench said that it is not possible to enter into this arena as a matter of fact medical SoP required that a patient is needed to be quarantined as it may result in exposure of other candidates. It noted that the UPSC has made separate arrangements for students suffering from cough and cold.
On September 28, the top court had asked the UPSC to apprise it of the “logistical arrangements” made for conducting civil services preliminary exams on October 4 in view of alarming spurt of COVID-19 cases as also floods in various parts of the country. The top court had earlier said that it would take up for hearing the plea seeking postponement of civil services 2020 examinations in view of alarming spurt of COVID-19 pandemic and floods.
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